Please do the right thing.
His chest tightened as he considered what would happen ifshe did handover the stone.He’d go back to Heaven, andshe’d...Well, she’d be stuck on Earth, dating inferior human men and scouringthe planet for valuable stones for evil assholes like Shrike.
Shrike.Shit.Razr was going to have to do something aboutthat douchebag.The original plan had been to placate the guy with the crystalhorn, whichAzagothhad agreed to give up under onecondition: That even after Razr had been restored asRazriel,he would continue training theMemitimtwice a month.
For the next century.And after the century of work was up,he wanted the crystal horn back.
No,Azagothdidn’t give awayanything for free or out of the goodness of his black heart.The Grim Reaperput a price on everything, and he always got the better end of the bargain.
After showering, Razr turned the bathroom over to Jedda,intentionally keeping the conversation limited so they didn’t have to discusshis Enoch gem.Yet.While she showered, he dressed in the only clothes besideshis burlap robes he had, the faded Levi’s, plain black T-shirt, leather jacket,and black boots he’d worn to Scotland.He didn’t need much since he rarely leftSheoul-gra, after all.
Jedda came out of the bathroom in the outfit she’d worn hereyesterday: black skinny jeans, an oversized jade button-down shirt, and leatherankle boots.Her wet hair hung in a cascade of shimmering silver-blue down herback, a few strands curling around her chin and flushed pink cheeks.Herdelicately pointed ears peeked out from the curtain of hair, and if he hadn’tseen the elf in her before, he did now.
Was itreally true?In the librarylast night before hisAzdaiglyphhad demanded a sound whipping, he’d askedAzagothandHades if they were aware of the existence of elves.Hades scoffed at thenotion, butAzagothhad been less skeptical.
“I’ve heard tales of their realm,”Azagothhad said, “supposedly shared by fairies, as well.But if they exist, theirdeaths aren’t governed by demon law.”
“Meaning you’ve never had an elf soul come throughSheoul-gra,” Razr mused, disappointed inAzagoth’sanswer.He’d hoped the ancient fallen angel whoseemed to know everything would have some insight into Jedda’s story.
Azagothhad confirmed the factthat he’d never seen an elf soul...and then he promptly flogged the hell out ofhim.
Razr couldn’t fucking wait to be done with this shit.
“Sowhat now?”Jedda shifted herweight with uncharacteristic nervousness as he finished tying his boots.
She had to be wondering what to tell him about the diamond.She might even be wondering if he knew she had it.
“Now we grab the crystal horn and get a bite to eat.We canplot our next move over breakfast.”Hopefully,hernext move would beto tell him she had his gem, but one thing at a time.
She offered him a fragile smile.“Sounds good.”She glancedover at the closet and then back at him.“Why is your closet full of robes?Isthat your uniform down here?”
He went so taut that even his brain shut down for a second.He’d never told anyone about them.Not evenAzagoth.
Back at Jedda’s apartment, she’d mentioned that he didn’tseem damaged, but those robes...Those were his damage.No, he wasn’t brokenand bitter like so many fallen angels, but he carried scars and remorse likeeveryone else, and sometimes self-flagellation was more effective than anythingothers could do to him.
“Razr?”She moved closer, until he could smell thepine-scented soap she’d used in his shower.“What is it?You can tell me.”
“Can I?”He stood, towering over her in a move meant not tointimidate, but to make an impression.“If I tell you, will you promise to giveme a straight answer when the time comes?”
She blinked, confused and caught in a trap.If she said no,she’d be admitting she had something to hide.If she said yes, she’d beobligated to tell the truth no matter what he asked.
“I...ah...of course.”
He swung open his apartment door and ushered her out.Hisvoice was mortifyingly hoarse when he spoke.“The robes aren’t a uniform.Ichoose to wear them because they’re abrasive and painful on my back when it’ssensitive from the floggings, and they constantly remind me why I’m here.”
Sometimes, when his guilt was extra intense, he’dactually givehimself a lash or two, just so he felt morepain.But that little shameful secret was his and his alone.
He felt her eyes on him as they exited the dormitorybuilding and walked across the lawn toAzagoth’smanor.
“Doesn’t being here remind you of that?”
“It isn’t enough,” he snapped, years of regret and angerspilling into his words.“People died because my team and I lost valuableweapons in the fight against demons.”He mounted the massive staircase, hisbooted feet clanging loudly in the still air.“If we don’t recover my diamond,the garnet, and the bracelet that goes with it, we’ll be that much weaker inthe Final Battle.Worse, if those stones fall into the wrong hands, they couldbe used forevil.”
As they entered the building he glanced over at Jedda, wholooked a little green.Now shereallylooked like an elf.
“I’m sorry.”Her voice was ragged and her eyes haunted, andhe wondered what she was thinking.Whatshe wasfeeling.Guilt, maybe?
Inhaling deeply, he calmed himself, forcing the past behindhim.For now.
